machevsMackeWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: mache is a verb, Macke is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“mache” is a verb and “Macke” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#934
“mache” frequency rank
#34,248
“Macke” frequency rank
35182
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mache Macke
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs machen sonderbare Eigenart

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set mache and Macke apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
mache
5 ch
Macke

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: mache is [ˈmaxə] while Macke is [ˈmakə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - h in “mache” becomes k in “Macke”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35182, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mache is recorded at frequency rank #934, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmaxə]. Macke is at rank #34,248, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmakə].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 35182, this pair ranks #1,646,044 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of mache vs Macke

Shared letters: acem. Private to "mache": h. Private to "Macke": k.

"mache" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Macke" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • macheamche · macche · maceh · machhe · mahce · mcahe · mmache
  • Mackeamcke · maccke · macek · mackke · makce · mcake · mmacke

Frequency comparison

mache#934
Macke#34,248

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mache" and "Macke" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "mache" is a verb and "Macke" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "mache" or "Macke"?
"mache" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #934 in our German list, against #34,248 for "Macke". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering mache vs Macke

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “mache”; for a noun, it's “Macke”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “mache” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list